Oasis (The Last Humans Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

word Phoe says; I’m just angry that she’s speaking, so, out of sheer spitefulness, I subvocalize, “The nano replicators are also what turned the world into Goo.”
    I hear Phoe take a deep inhale and prepare for an avalanche of objections, but instead, she says, “I know you’re just trying to push my buttons.”
    “What gave me away?” I try to inject as much sarcasm as one can into a thought.
    She doesn’t reply.
    “Two silent treatments in a single day? I’m definitely getting better at dealing with my imaginary friend,” I think pointedly.
    She still doesn’t reply, so I return my attention to the lesson at hand.
    I’m back in the default empty space, where Instructor Filomena’s booming voice is telling us about the virtues of Amish society. I tune it all out, knowing I’ll only get angry again. Our curriculum, especially Filomena’s History Lecture, is an exercise in cherry picking. For example, she is highlighting our similarities with the Amish but ignoring important differences, like, say, religion. From what I’ve gathered through my own research, the Amish were defined by their religious beliefs, ideas completely foreign to us.
    I expect Phoe to chime in and say something like, “Her parallels are even weaker than the time when she compared Oasis to the visions of the ancient philosopher Plato and his Republic,” but Phoe is still holding a grudge.
    To provoke Phoe to speak, I subvocalize, “Hmm, I wonder if it’s the next stage of my insanity that I can imagine Phoe’s words so exactly…”
    Phoe doesn’t take the bait.
    Bored, I listen to the lesson. After Filomena further jumbles her message and I feel as if I’ve just experienced the most boring fifteen minutes of my life, I subvocalize, “Maybe I shouldn’t have pissed off Phoe.”
    Phoe lets me suffer for another ten minutes before she mumbles a hushed, “Serves you right,” and makes a point to stay quiet for another torturous half hour—the rest of the Lecture.
    “That’s all for today,” Filomena finally says and the reality of the classroom returns. “Remember,” she continues, “as that ancient poet said, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
    I fight the slight disorientation that always accompanies coming out of VR. In my peripheral vision, I see Grace get up, and I leap to my feet.
    Grace exits the Hall and I follow, ignoring Liam’s attempt to get my attention.
    “Please, Grace,” I say, catching up with her.
    Grace stops in the middle of the corridor and looks back.
    “What?” she says, twirling a red curl around her finger. “Make it quick.”
    “It’s about what Mason might’ve misled you to believe—”
    “Save your lies, Theodore,” Grace says. “I already gave my report to the Dean.”

4
    “ F —”
    “Don’t say anything that will give the snitch more ammunition,” Phoe says, her grievances with me instantly forgotten. “Keep your cool.”
    Focusing on not cursing, I manage to say, “You told?”
    I say the words with some strange hope, as if maybe Grace is just taunting me, but her face looks earnest, and I start to feel something older Youths in Oasis almost never experience.
    Anxiety.
    Some of my turmoil must show on my face, because Grace frowns and says, her voice lowered, “You don’t understand, Theo. Mason needs help. I did it for his sake—and to protect myself.”
    My hands do something unexpected: they turn into fists.
    “Theo, what the hell?” Phoe says. “Did you really just think about hitting a girl?”
    “No,” I subvocalize and take a deep breath. “And what does gender have to do with it?” Before Phoe can respond, I add, “I haven’t thought about hitting anyone for years now, with the exception of Owen, but he’s such an asshole that wanting to hit him obviously doesn’t count.”
    “Walk away, now,” Phoe says, her tone clipped.
    “You shouldn’t have done that,” I say to Grace, ignoring Phoe. “Why are you being like